


Convince Him

by whatthedruidscallme



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Not Canon Compliant, What else is new, arthur's enchanted, s2ep10
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-23
Updated: 2019-10-23
Packaged: 2020-12-31 21:35:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,101
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21152570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whatthedruidscallme/pseuds/whatthedruidscallme
Summary: When Gwen can't break the love Arthur has for Vivian, it's up to Merlin to try it.





	Convince Him

**Author's Note:**

  * For [OnceandFutureHeartache](https://archiveofourown.org/users/OnceandFutureHeartache/gifts).

“Gwen, listen to me! You’re not listening.”

“Not listening?” Gwen gave a derisive scoff and turned away from him, arms crossed, to face the window. Even with swollen eyes and trembling lips, she was still striking, and her hair gleamed in the afternoon sunlight like a newly minted coin. “I’ve been watching! I don’t need to listen, I know exactly what’s going on.”

Merlin swallowed and tried again. “Gwen, he’s enchanted.”

“Yes I know!” Gwen said, her voice rising hysterically. “With Lady Vivian!”

“No, I mean _really_ enchanted, spells potions, love juice, whatever, his feelings for Vivian aren’t real.” His heart was beating oddly in his chest, as though it was planning on leaping up to his throat or dropping to his stomach if it felt like it. Every word that bubbled up to his lips felt acidic.

Gwen shook her head, still staring stubbornly out the window. “His feelings certainly seem real enough.”

“They’re not. Gwen, he—he loves you,” Merlin said, fighting his way past the lump in his throat that threatened to choke him at every step. “His feelings for Vivian are false, enchantment, there’s nothing to them, but if you don’t help me break the spell, his death will be. You saw him out there; he _will _die if I can’t break it. And,” he added bitterly, “I can’t. I need you.”

At last, Gwen turned towards him. She was biting her lip, chewing on it like her life depended on it, but she was listening. “Say I believed you,” she said reluctantly. “What would I have to do?”

Merlin drew in a breath and let it out in a relieved gust. “Thank you.”

“I’m not saying I believe you. The way he acts around Vivian is enough evidence for me. But…if I did.”

“Make him remember,” Merlin said, nearly tripping over himself in his haste. “His feelings for you are still there, just hidden under the enchantment. If you can make him remember why he loves, or even _that_ he loves you, the spell will be broken and he won’t need to fight for Vivian. Nor will he start an unnecessary war over a girl he doesn’t like.”

“I—I still don’t know.”

“Listen, Gwen, I heard him! Before the spell came into effect he was going on about how she was treating you, how rude she was, all the rest. Is that how a potential suitor acts, one who is willing to risk his life and his kingdom for the girl in question? Of course not. Search your heart,” Merlin finished with an odd, tremulous smile. “You know who he loves.”

*

“Well?” Gaius said, glancing at Merlin with a quizzical expression. “Did it work?”

“It took some convincing,” Merlin said, struggling to keep the jealousy out of his voice. “But I think it did. I don’t know when she’ll do it, but it’ll have to be soon. He’s going back out there in a couple hours, just in time to get slaughtered by Vivian’s father.”

He sighed as he flung himself into the nearest chair, rubbing his forehead. “I wish this hadn’t happened. Love spells are the worst.”

Gaius turned towards him, sharp expression and raised eyebrow firmly in place. “You think it did? You don’t know when she’ll do it? Merlin, I’m surprised at you.”

“Surprised at me?” Merlin said, his voice rising. “_Me_? I’m doing everything I can to make sure Arthur doesn’t end up pushing up daisies, starting a war in the process! This is the only way to do it, and if you can think of another, I’m all ears.”

“Yes, you are,” Gaius said, turning back to his work, and Merlin scowled. “You need to go back.”

“Go back? Why would I go back, just to watch Gwen kiss Arthur? That has nothing to do with me, I can stay here. It’s not like I’m taking a risk or anything. He does love her,” he said, feeling the words scrape his throat raw.

Gaius put a vial down a little harder than necessary, and dark purple sludge slopped over the sides. “Sometimes I don’t know how you keep that empty head on your shoulders. If this solution you’re congratulating yourself on does not work, Arthur will go back out to that challenge. Most likely he will die, and even if he doesn’t, he will start a war in which he will most certainly end up dead. His life is in danger, isn’t that usually enough to send you running for him? He’s your responsibility.”

“So is everything!” Merlin said. “I don’t understand why I have to go out there, just to watch a stupid spell brea—”

“Get out there,” Gaius said, pointing a half-melted spoon in his direction. “Now. And come back afterwards to tell me how it went, just so I know if I have a funeral to prepare for or not.”

“Fine,” Merlin grumbled, and got up. “But when it’s worked and I’ve lost valuable time to sit down, I’m blaming you.”

“That’s fine, “ Gaius said, a little distractedly, and consequently, did not hear the slew of filthy words Merlin said under his breath as he left the physician’s chambers.

It took everything in Merlin’s power not to just walk away and claim he’d seen the spell work. What was the point in further wounding his heart, his pride, and everything else just to see Arthur fall in love all over again? Why burn that memory into his brain? He’d done enough for Arthur as it was, and not even Gaius knew how much he sacrificed for that ridiculous, self-serving prat of a man.

But still he trudged down to the training field where he knew Arthur’s tent stood, where he had just been bandaged from his last bout with Vivian’s father, ribs and all, and had cheerfully told everyone he was fine.

“Fine,” Merlin scoffed under his breath, just loud enough that the knight he was passing paused to stare at him. “Just fine. Well, if he was just fine, suppose I could take the day off? Go out and collect herbs instead of listening to passionate declarations of love for the afternoon, but no, he had to go and get himself wrapped up in a love spell…” And so it went, on and on in the same vein for quite some time until Merlin finally arrived at a red and gold tent standing proudly in the field.

He could hear murmurings of conversation in there, Arthur’s falsely cheerful tone followed by Gwen’s nervous, serious voice. Merlin sat himself down in the grass, crossed his legs, and drummed his fingers impatiently on his leg. If he just saw Gwen come out of the tent, he’d know it was done. No need to go in there and see it. Gwen coming out of the tent would be just fine, probably followed by a smiling Arthur. They would probably be holding hands.

Time stretched on much longer than Merlin would have liked, unable to tell if it was just time or if they really had been in that tent for twenty minutes. What was taking so long? Was she still in the middle of polite conversation? Was he not cooperating, were they in the middle of…something?

Merlin flushed at the very thought and turned away. Surely not. Not right after the spell had been broken.

_I shouldn’t…go in there, should I? _Merlin thought hesitantly, and immediately his heart shuddered away from the idea. No. No, he was not going in there. Not to watch that. That was an image he didn’t need.

It was another ten minutes before Merlin finally heard something. Gwen was saying something, and Arthur was shouting, something long and incomprehensible from where Merlin was sitting, but it was shouting. _Perhaps about Vivian, or from the pain, _Merlin thought grimly. _Must feel horrible to wake up from a spell like that. Not that he didn’t deserve it, of course, but—_

Gwen burst out of the tent, and at Arthur’s distant bellow, whipped around. “Good!” she shouted. “I hope you do!”

She wiped her face and then caught sight of Merlin, who still sat on the ground, stunned.

“You’re a rotten liar, Merlin,” she said, her voice still trembling. “He loves Vivian, and I’ve lost him forever.”

“Wha—”

“Leave me alone,” she snapped, and stalked away, skirt blowing in the serene breeze.

Merlin stared after her. It hadn’t even occurred to him that it wouldn’t work, and if Arthur didn’t love Gwen, than what on earth was he to do? She was the only one who he had ever paid attention to.

Merlin leapt up and went for the tent, whipping the flap aside to find Arthur putting on his chainmail and looking considerably ruffled.

“Merlin!” he said with relief, and held up his belt. “I can’t get this on.”

“Arthur?” Merlin said blankly, ignoring the kick of adrenaline it produced to see him. “Didn’t—didn’t Gwen come in here?”

Arthur frowned. “She did, and she talked for a bit, and then…then she tried to _kiss_ me. Like my heart doesn’t belong to Vivian.”

Merlin ran a hand through his hair, staring. It hadn’t worked, not in the slightest. He wasn’t even shaken. “I know she did, and you don’t feel any different?”

Arthur shrugged. “Should I? Listen, help me put this belt on before I decide to sit down, because I don’t think I’ll ever get up again.”

“You’re under a _love_ spell, Arthur,” Merlin said desperately. “You can’t go out there, you’ll die. Do you understand? You’ll die if you go out there.”

Arthur laughed. “Under a love spell? Merlin, come on. I’m in love with Vivian. No spell needed.”

Merlin’s heart was beating unnaturally fast and light. “Fine,” he said. “Fine. If Gwen can’t convince you, then I will.”

Every cell in his body was screaming at him to run for it and his hands were shaking. His courage had been reduced to a thread, this was another memory he didn’t want to have, but he had to.

Merlin stepped forward with undue determination, grabbed the belt and hauled it towards him. Arthur stumbled forward, his eyes widening, but before he could say anything, Merlin was kissing him.

Arthur’s lips were soft and warm and slightly chapped pressing against his own. But nothing was happening; his lips were stiff and frozen against Merlin’s, and he kissed him harder, trying for some sort of reaction, anything at all. Arthur was making some sort of noise against his mouth, probably too stunned to tug himself away, and with something pricking at the corner of Merlin’s eyes, he began to pull away.

Suddenly there was the sound of the belt dropping to the floor, buckle hitting the ground with a _clang_, and then Merlin was being backed up, Arthur’s body was pressing into his as he was slammed against the post and Arthur’s lips were moving against his own, _he was kissing him back_, Merlin was dizzy with euphoria, too shocked to do anything except allow Arthur to keep kissing him, unable to even lift his arms to throw around Arthur’s neck. But Arthur had clearly kept his head; his hands slid around Merlin’s waist, pulling him closer until he was flush against him. Arthur pulled away just far enough to take a breath and then he was kissing him again; Merlin had finally regained his senses long enough to slip his hand into Arthur’s hair, twining his fingers in it, wrapping one arm around his neck. It lasted for too long, maybe a couple minutes, an hour, a few hazy, sunlit days, before Arthur broke the kiss, arms still around Merlin’s waist.

“You,” Merlin said hoarsely as soon as he could speak, “I thought Gwen—”

“Just you,” Arthur said unsteadily, pressing his forehead to Merlin’s. His eyes were excruciatingly blue and his hair was damp with sweat but Merlin didn’t care, he didn’t want to be any further from him than a couple inches. “Just—I—”

“Yeah, I know, shut up,” Merlin said, cutting him off, and pulled him closer for another kiss.

*

“Er,” Merlin began, shifting from foot to foot. “So I have something to confess.”

“What now, Merlin?”

“Arthur’s in love.”

“Ah,” Gaius said, putting down his quill with the air of the long-suffering and looking up at him. “And how did you cause that?”

“It’s me he’s in love with.”

“Hmm,” Gaius said after a long pause in which Merlin was wishing ardently to die, “I suppose Kilgharrah was right after all.Two sides of the same coin.”

“Wait—”

**Author's Note:**

> thank you onceandfutureheartache for the request, hope you like it!! Thanks for reading!!


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